One of the most encouraging things is seeing some people
stay longer with us at Church at the Manor after lunch. Lunch usually begins with the initial fare of
sandwiches, salads and dessert that more recently has changed to the crock pot warm
up essentials of pastas, stews and soups. They are joining us for worship, for
the sharing time and even interacting during open discussions. It has also been so good to see some come to
faith and join in communion as well. I
have listened to guys who share about their longing towards freedom from
alcohol or anger more recently. Some are
making progress by switching to ginger ale or alcohol free beer, but deep down
I know there has to be a longing for something more. They are so open to having
someone pray for them and I pray in earnest for their freedom and the tears
flow. They are so raw in their honesty with me , they are broken and desperate
and it is when we all get to this place, that there is a great opportunity for
a lasting exchange. It brings me to a
passage in John’s gospel where Jesus spoke of living water!
Empty Games
Jesus knew the
Pharisees had heard that he was baptizing and making more disciples than John 2
(though Jesus himself didn’t baptize them—his disciples did). 3 So he left
Judea and returned to Galilee.4 He had to go through Samaria on the way. 5
Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar
We pick up a story in John 4 on the ministry that Jesus was
on. Make no mistake that Jesus was
annoyed with religious people. The fact
that they were keeping count of baptisms, making comparisons, #numbers was not
something He was interested in and so, He simply left that scene.
It is interesting to note that Jesus intentionally makes a
point of travelling through Samaria. The
Samaritans were a despised people, a mixed race and they also mixed up
religions, worship, idolatry as well.
The Jewish people of that day would actually walk twice as far to avoid
Samaria altogether because they didn’t wanted to be ‘contaminated’ by anyone in
this area.
So, here we find Jesus in Samaria engaging a Samaritan
woman. In terms of the culture of the day that was two strikes against her… a
Samaritan and a woman.
Empty Buckets
Jesus, tired from the
long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. 7 Soon a Samaritan woman
came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” 8 He was
alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some
food. 9 The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with
Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are
you asking me for a drink?”10 Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has
for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you
living water.”11 “But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and
this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water?
…13 Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this
water will soon become thirsty again. 14 But those who drink the water I give
will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them,
giving them eternal life.”15 “Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me this
water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.”
Jesus makes no distinction of person, class, race or
position. He is all inclusive, all
willing and all ready to give life giving satisfaction to anyone who comes to
Him. He is the real thirst-quencher and
a real relationship with Him brings incredible meaning and understanding to
life. This is a great truth highlighting
the truth that yes, Jesus spoke to the masses, but He was also great one on one
with people and had a profound way to connect with them. Unfortunately for her she doesn’t get it and
she still things Jesus is talking about high quality H2O! She is like where can I get this ultimate Gatorade?
Empty Wells
The third strike against this woman was that she was a
victim of many failed relationships.
16 “Go and get your husband,” Jesus told
her.17 “I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied. Jesus
said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband— 18 for
you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re
living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!”19 “Sir,”
the woman said, “you must be a prophet. 20 So tell
me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship,
while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our
ancestors worshiped?”21 Jesus replied, “Believe me,
dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you
worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem.
In v19 She creates a diversion with her question on worship
and tries to move away from the real heart issue within herself, but she now
knows that this isn’t just a simple conversation about where to find the best
water. She finally gets it and relates to Jesus on a spiritual level and brings
up a really good question about where is the best place to worship God.
Jesus makes it really clear that worship will no longer be
about a specific place or time for that matter. It is about the attitude of the
heart and He calls us to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. The Old Testament predicted it and the New
Testament fulfilled it. Worship wasn’t
going to about tablets of stone and stone buildings, it will be about a heart
of flesh and living temples, our bodies being the place where His Holy Spirit
dwells. 1 Corinthians 6:18-20
For her, the well that she was trying to find satisfaction
from was simply put, men. She was
looking for real love and she was trying to get her needs met in a relationship
and it had miserably failed her. She was
broken and He was calling her to exchange her disappointment, her loneliness,
her emptiness for love everlasting.
Jesus doesn’t condemn her by bringing up her past, but only
to make her realize her need for something far greater that she had ever known.
The same question needs to be asked of us…What are the wells
that we try to find satisfaction from?
How many wells full of sand and dirt have we taken a drink
from? How desperate are we for living
water?
The Holy Spirit is our water!
23 But the time is
coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in
spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that
way. 24 For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and
in truth.”
It is also interesting to note that Jesus uses the masculine
pronoun when making the statement to the woman.
In essence he was placing her on the same level as a man, that there was
no hierarchy here, all of us receive this abundant life giving stream in the
same way.
Jesus is calling us to drink from the Holy Spirit’s presence
in our lives, to discover joy, peace, love and the presence of God. It just grieves Him to see us trying to
desperately seek satisfaction from cheap and empty substitutes.
Another way to look at it is this, The Holy Spirit is calling us to go deeper
with Jesus… Holy Spirit is saying, Delight in my presence, delight in knowing
me like the sun that beats down on your face, so my radiance will be on your
face, in your heart and on your mind.
Don’t dwell on lesser things; your soul will be satisfied as with the
richest of foods. Enjoy my goodness, my
grace and my mercy. Let it fill your
soul. What does He tell us over and over
again,…Come to me to have your needs met.
I will satisfy you, drench you with my loving-kindness.
Are you thirsty for more?
I am.
